Finding something to do on the Internet is easy enough but using it to pursue other activities may seem antithetical to your comfortable position on the couch. Of course there are traditional hobbies like knitting or coin collecting, but try some of these other ones with a little bit of help from your browser.
CULINARY CURIOSITIES
Candy Making
If you’re tired of baking but still want the challenge of creating something sweet, look into candy making. Ingredients and equipment are easily purchasable while free recipes ranging from beginner to expert difficulty crowd the Internet. Plus, all of you non-diabetic friends will enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Becoming an Exotic Meat Connoisseur
From ostrich to frog, from bison to reindeer, cooked and raw members of the animal kingdom can be found online for easy purchase. Even Amazon has a section dedicated to exotic meats. While some people may prefer to taste wine, others may be happy to dive into the world of umami. No hunting license required.
Hosting Flavor Parties
Miracle berries have the interesting property of tricking the taste buds into registering sour tastes as sweet. Due to their short shelf life and being indigenous to West Africa, the berries are best purchased online in frozen or tablet form. Gather your friends together for evenings of devouring lemons and Sour Patch Kids as your tongues turn these foods into sweet delights.
Brewing Beer
While brewing up moonshine may be illegal, making your own beer is not. Online videos detail home brewing methods, instruct how to build equipment, and share recipes. Create flights of your favorite recipes and have a beer tasting event in your home.
Beekeeping
While apiculture is often seen as a rural trade, it can also be practiced in suburban and urban environments. Notes on honey production, pollination, and species of bees as well as online classes can help the beginner apiarist pursue beekeeping. Those with allergies may want to choose another hobby.
OUTDOOR ADVENTURES
Geocaching
Exploring your neighborhood or another country can be even more delightful with geocaching. Geocaching is using GPS to find geocaches, or hidden items. Using mapping tools and forums, set up adventures to find little treasures or leave behind your own objects.
Rock Stacking
Rock stacking or rock balancing is the practice of creating art by balancing stones on one another. Although many structures appear as if they could easily topple and thus, must be held up by something else, no materials are used except for rocks. Simply find areas with significant stones and research how to balance them on each other.
LARPing
If you find the online world of role-playing boring and want to don a sword yourself, LARPing (Live Action Role-Playing) may be for you. Create a character of mythic status and battle enemies with your comrades. You can fashion your own weaponry and clothing or purchase them from websites specializing in costuming. LARPing isn’t a solo activity so find a group online to see if you can join in the fun.
Dumpster Diving
Whether you’re frugal, environmentally conscious, or simply into digging through people’s trash, you might find dumpster diving rewarding. Search through and around dumpsters to find everything from food to furniture. Meet-ups between fellow dumpster divers are coordinated online and information on the best places to go can be found there as well.
Spelunking
Exploring caves may appear to be a dangerous activity but with protective gear and guides, you can enjoy the ecosystems below your feet. Caves are still being discovered, as are new specimens within them. Researching your next trip is easy enough online and once you see one cave, you’ll want to explore more and more. For extra difficulty, try cave diving.
ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS
Stop-Motion Animation
If you love to draw but always felt like your flipbooks lacked the length or finesse you wanted, try stop-motion animation. Animators provide instructions in forums to building your own animation studio with a desk, camera, and self-made tripod. Stop-motion animation requires patience, as each motion needs to be captured on film. Try paper cutouts or clay for extra difficulty.
Ventriloquism
Impress your friends or be that creepy dude who carries a doll with him wherever he goes. Dummies are easily purchasable online, but instructions to building them can be found as well. If you’re corny or simply find horny wooden companions hilarious, ventriloquism might be the hobby for you.
Storytelling
What was once the inspiration for Homer is now a performance art you can participate in at your local café. Storytelling now has societies and festivals. Participants can practice their art in public or by setting up podcasts. Sharing the stories of our lives is an oral tradition that is simply boosted by the modern communication systems we have today.
Hikaru Dorodango
Can’t figure out what to do with all of that mud that’s sitting around your house? Me either. Luckily, the Japanese have. Hikaru dorodango is the art of making mud into polishing spheres. Online galleries educate readers about the art and provide instruction for practice.
Glowsticking
The performance art of glowsticking is usually associated with rave culture but can be found in other venues as well. It is a dance movement using glowsticks to create lightshows. Performers attach strings to glowsticks or perform freehand. Videos online display past performances and instruct beginners and experts alike on dance and glowstick moves.
REMEMBERING THE PAST
Treasure Hunting
The pages of legends and shipwrecks are now digitalized, giving readers the urge to search the nooks and crannies of the earth to find buried treasure. While some may buy a used metal detector off Craigslist, others plan exotic scuba-diving trips to search the wreckage of ships from centuries ago.
Restoring Antique Bicycles
If refurbishing old cars seems like too much of an expense or effort, try a more environmentally friendly form of transportation. Bicycle aficionados can collect antique bicycles online or join societies and events to show off their restorations. Finding matching parts may be difficult, but the hunt will be worth the finished piece.
Historical Reenactment
Renaissance reenactments may be the most famous historical showcases, but practically every time period has people acting as if they lived during that time. While it may seem anachronistic, many historical reenactment societies have websites with information on viewing reenactments or becoming a member. Be a farb or a progressive; just don’t fire live ammunition at anyone.
Tombstone Rubbing
Genealogy can be turned into art through tombstone rubbing. Find your relatives’ graves through genealogy servers and search engines in order to create rubbings with paper and wax cakes. Your living relatives may appreciate your efforts and your dead ones will be glad to have a visitor.
Collecting
Collecting the past is an easy, yet possibly expensive activity that doesn’t require leaving the home anymore. Instead of shuffling through antique stores and garage sales, try online auction sites. Collections can be composed of any object from antique medical supplies to campaign buttons. Indulge in your interest and know it might be worth something someday.
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